Under the Rainbow
by R4v3n Kn1ght
Summary: Everyone knows what happened to Dorothy in Oz, but what about things under the rainbow on the farm in Kansas, both before and after the infamous tornado?
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** Disclaimer: _The Wizard of Oz_ does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me. It belongs to the creator, L. Frank Baum, whom I respect very much for giving the world this wonderful story, along with the many others set in Oz. Anything from the film belongs to screenplay writers Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, all of the composers, and MGM films. I write this piece out of respect for the original works.

This does _not_ take place in the Land of Oz, but rather at the farm in Kansas, featuring mainly Dorothy Gale, Hunk, Hickory, Zeke, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Professor Chester Frank Marvel, Miss Almira Gultch, and several original characters. Their ages, in many cases, are adjusted to suit the purposes of this story.

**Prologue**

"How busy do you think the farm will be now that Mr. and Mrs. Gale won't be here to help us anymore?" the young twenty-six year old farmhand asked his older friend. His gentle blue-grey eyes shined with sympathy and sadness.

The other man looked at him with an examining eye. He was over twenty years older than the man next to him, but he held him in the highest regards. He could forgive many mistakes the younger man made and tried to fix them before the farm owners discovered the error. He looked out for the youth, but when it came to the little girl of the family, he cared for her like a second father. "It's better if we don't complain about more work. Imagine what the poor little girl is going through right now."

Hickory nodded, a tear struggling to remain in his eye……

……Tragedy had recently struck the Gale household. The small family was on a visit with Pat Gale's brother, Henry. Unfortunately, Pat's wife, Clara became dreadfully ill and their visit was extended until she would be able to at least get out of her bed. Their little daughter stayed by her mother the whole time, never leaving unless it was absolutely necessary. The farmhands of Henry and Emily Gale knew the child and her parents very well, having worked for them for many years. Pat had gone into town to get his wife medicine one afternoon…but he never returned. They all found out the next day from their County Sheriff that Pat Gale had been killed by a drunken young man. That was only the beginning of the sorrow to come to the Gale farm.

Immediately after her father's death, the little girl was overwhelmed with a low spirit. It was on the third day after Pat died that she was found on the porch, her head in her arms, which rested on her knees. That was how the older farmhand came upon her.

He gently laid his callused hand on her shoulder blade, his thumb tracing small circles on her back. She looked up at him and saw his aging paternal face before her. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the tears left visible tracks down her cheeks. "Oh, Zeke!" she cried, after her vision cleared and she was able to recognize him. She got to her feet and leaped into his arms, crying into his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked her side to side.

"Dorothy…It's alright, honey," he tried to soothe the twelve year old girl. She shook her head against his chest, her breaths now hiccups. Zeke ran his hands up and down her back in a second attempt to calm her down. She seemed to calm a little too much, though. Zeke pulled away from her and saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing back to normal.

The man scooped her into his arms and went into the Gale household. He walked through the living room, the kitchen, and toward the bedrooms. The house only contained three bedrooms: one for Henry and Emily Gale, another for Pat and Clara Gale, and the last for young Dorothy. He made his way there and pulled back the covers. Gently, he put her on the bed and tucked her in. Zeke brushed her hair back away from her forehead, and bent low touching his lips to the girl's forehead. Then, he left the room.

On his way outside, he stopped at the second bedroom where the very ill Clara Gale lay. He knocked on the door softly. "Come in," was quietly whispered from the other side. He opened the door and stood on the threshold of the room. He looked upon Clara Gale. Sweat coated her face, and her breath was labored. Her body seemed frailer and weaker than he had ever seen before, even weaker then after her difficult delivery of her daughter. She convulsed on her bed in her sickness where she was shielded under many layers of covers in her fever. She reached her hand toward Zeke. He immediately crossed the room, pulled over a chair to sit in, and took her hand. "Mr. Lahr…" she breathed.

"Mrs. Gale," he responded. He stroked the back of her hand.

"Mr. Lahr, will Dorothy be alright?"

"Well, she has taken the…Mr. Gale…she most likely won't be her normal self until you get well again, Mrs. Gale," he said, stumbling over how to mention the death of her husband.

Her eyes closed for a long while as she breathed slowly, almost seeming to struggle to do so. When she opened her eyes they held a regretful resignation in them. "I fear I will not get well again, Mr. Lahr."

"Don't say that, Mrs. Gale. You have to get well for Dorothy."

"I am trying. But…can you promise me something, Mr. Lahr?" she asked. She hoped he would agree without a second thought. When he nodded for her to continue, she made the last request she had. "Watch over Dorothy. Take care of her when I leave. Please." She closed her eyes again and when she opened them she looked expectantly to Zeke.

Zeke looked at Clara and sighed. 'I've promised her.' He thought of little Dorothy asleep in the next room. What would happen when her mother died…and not even a week after her father? He did not have the answer and neither did he want to know it. With a last look at Clara Gale, he knew that he would soon learn the answer whether or not he was prepared for it. She closed her eyes to continue to sleep in her fever. He looked upon her face for a moment longer before he rose to his feet and walked to the doorway. Before he closed the door, he looked at her again with sadness in his eyes. Finally, with a soft sigh he left the room closing the door behind him.

On his way back to the animal pens, he decided that he would have to tell Hickory. Very soon Clara Gale may die, leaving her daughter living with Henry and Emily Gale as her guardians and with him and Hickory as her only other friends…

It was just the next morning that Henry found Clara cold in her bed, despite the multitude of covers over her. He did not tell Dorothy first, but Zeke and Hickory. It was Emily that finally told the girl of her mother's death. But when she sought comfort, she found it in the company of Hickory and Zeke, the latter of whom told her stories of her father and mother as a young couple in love and how happy they were when she was born. Despite the older man's attempt to help her, she ran to Hickory, who offered a silent comfort of a simple embrace as she cried against his shoulder.


	2. Hickory's Gift

**Author's Notes:** Disclaimer: _The Wizard of Oz_ does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me. It belongs to the creator, L. Frank Baum, whom I respect very much for giving the world this wonderful story, along with the many others set in Oz. Anything from the film belongs to screenplay writers Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, all of the composers, and MGM films. I write this piece out of respect for the original works.

This does _not_ take place in the Land of Oz, but rather at the farm in Kansas, featuring mainly Dorothy Gale, Hunk, Hickory, Zeke, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Professor Chester Frank Marvel, Miss Almira Gultch, and several original characters. Their ages, in many cases, are adjusted to suit the purposes of this story.

I. Hickory's Gift

For weeks after the deaths of Dorothy's parents, the farm was a somber atmosphere. Not one person spoke of Pat or Clara within earshot of Dorothy. Henry and Emily would try to cheer the girl up by doing various things for her, and taking her to someplace other than the farm. Once, Henry even took her to the circus, but all she could say while she was there was how her father took her to the circus when she was seven, and how she and her mother had shared a cotton candy together. She left the circus that night in tears, just thinking of how she was leaving with her aunt and uncle instead of her mother and father. Emily tried to bake various treats for the girl…cookies, apple pie – her favorite – but nothing seemed to work.

Zeke would often take Dorothy on walks throughout the farm. She spoke to him of memories she had of her family, but every once in a while she would break down into near hysterics, and run off somewhere. When he would return to the house, he would see her swinging on the tire swing. She never swung on it anymore with a carefree innocence that she had just one month ago, but with a slow and melancholy swaying, as though it were weighted.

It was only when Hickory came around Dorothy did she seem better. She would accept his gifts that he offered in his protective nature towards her. On a particularly hot afternoon, he would always give her a slice of watermelon to munch on, telling her that if she didn't eat it she would not only wither away but also dry up and end up looking a decade older than she truly was. At a remark like that she would smile and take a huge bite from the fruit. Hickory would join her eating his own slice of the watery fruit. Hickory seemed to be the only one to make her smile on the farm, yet she still did not confide wholly in him.

It was one day – around the early evening – but still after supper when Zeke and Hickory were walking back towards the house for their share of dinner before they went home. Aunt Em would feed the two workers as an expression of her thanks for their help. The farm owners and the two men knew that another reason why they made this gesture was partly because they hoped to build Zeke's and Hickory's bond with their niece so that she would feel that although she had lost two family members she had gained two in their stead. Dorothy did not have many friends, and so Henry and Emily wanted her to become close to Zeke and Hickory, despite the age difference between them.

Zeke held his hat in his hand as he patted his handkerchief on his face to dry the sweat from the day's work. Hickory walked beside him with a rake in his hand which he leaned over his shoulder. For weeks they had been trying to think of something they could do to fully cheer Dorothy up and to keep her occupied while they were working, but they were having trouble with it.

They were nearly at the house when they saw Dorothy's back as she swayed on the tire swing. Zeke and Hickory both stopped walking as they sadly looked upon the girl. "Poor girl. She doesn't even seem like she's alive anymore," Zeke lamented. Hickory nodded in agreement. He recalled how everyday, after dinner she would go onto the swing and stay there until the sky darkened into night. She seemed more ghost than girl sometimes, especially when she would go through the farm house, the barn, and the land without a single word and a face with no expression. Hickory's heart went out to the girl.

Suddenly, an idea struck the younger farmhand. He grabbed hold of Zeke's arm and pulled him towards the barn. Zeke protested, but when he heard Hickory blurt out, "I think I've finally come up with an idea for Dorothy!" Zeke allowed Hickory to pull him through the barn doors. Hickory released the older man and quickly closed the doors and when he turned around, Zeke noticed a happy gleam in Hickory's blue-grey eyes. Hickory, despite closing the doors, stood in front of Zeke and whispered as though the horses might listen and spoil his surprise. "Dorothy's birthday is in a week. What if we got her something…special? Something that she could truly love with her heart again?"

"Hickory, what could you mean?"

Hickory just smiled and said, "The only ting is that it would need a box to work. I'll take care of the one half of it, if you can find the box."

"Are you sure she'd like this…whatever it is?" Zeke asked, cautiously. He trusted Hickory, but at the same time he wished he would just tell him what "it" was.

"If she doesn't…we could always return it. I know we can," Hickory assured Zeke. They were both silent for a few moments. "Please, Zeke, could you find the box?"

Hickory waited tensely until Zeke's skeptical expression turned into a small grin. "How big should it be?" Hickory began to laugh, and Zeke found himself unable to help joining him in his joy. Hickory grabbed Zeke's right hand and shook it firmly.

"If she doesn't love this, then nothing anyone gives her will turn her back to the Dorothy we miss seeing."

Aunt Em walked to Dorothy's bedroom door and knocked softly. "Dorothy, come out, darling." She waited for a few minutes before she opened the door and saw Dorothy sitting on her bed holding a framed photograph. She knew which one it was for Dorothy looked upon it everyday, still finding it difficult to move on after her parents' deaths. Aunt Em walked over to her niece and sat on the bed beside her. Gently, she took hold of the frame and eased it out of Dorothy's hands. She then removed a handkerchief from her apron pocket and wiped away the tears on the youthful cheeks. "Dorothy, dear, it's your birthday today and we have something for you." Dorothy shifted her eyes to her aunt, but said nothing. "Are you not happy that it's your birthday?"

Dorothy shook her head. "How can I be when they aren't here?"

"Oh, Dorothy. But I'm here, and Uncle Henry's here. Zeke and Hickory even came today for you." She noticed with a bit of sadness that Dorothy only began to smile when she mentioned the two farmhands. But she could not bring herself to be angry with her for preferring their company over her family. At least she found comfort in the company of somebody, even if it wasn't her or Henry.

"Will you come into the kitchen for some supper?" Aunt Em asked, gently.

Dorothy nodded, slowly. Aunt Em got off the bed and started to leave the room. Dorothy slowly followed her example and got to her feet. She wiped away the remains of her tears before she left her room. She followed her aunt into the kitchen where she found Uncle Henry already sitting at the head of the table with a bowl of Dorothy's favorite soup in front of him. He did not start eating yet because he was waiting for his niece. He smiled at her when she came into the room after his wife.

Dorothy noticed immediately that the farmhands were absent from the room. She turned an accusatory glare upon her aunt. "You said Zeke and Hickory were here."

"We are, Dorothy," a kind voice said from behind her. She spun to find Hickory standing there with a genuinely sweet smile on his face. Behind him stood Zeke with his hat in his hands. His expression was also one of joy but it held a trace of nervousness. She paid it no mind, but instead ran straight into Hickory's chest, forcing him to embrace her. When he let her go, she went to Zeke and hugged him too.

"Come now. Everyone, sit down or the soup will be cold before we eat," Aunt Em said.

Zeke walked into the living room and hung his hat on a hook near the door. When he returned, he saw Hickory being led by the hand to where Dorothy wanted him to sit. Hickory was laughing merrily as she led him. After Dorothy had Hickory in the chair next to hers at one side of the table, Aunt Em took one of the chairs opposite them. Zeke began towards the chair next to Aunt Em, but Dorothy spoke up. "Oh, Zeke, sit here next to me." Zeke looked to Henry for approval. Upon receiving the barely noticeable nod, he went to the chair opposite Uncle Henry – the other head of the table – and took his place.

Throughout supper, Dorothy was constantly smiling and would not stop saying how happy she was that Hickory and Zeke were there. When Aunt Em brought out an apple pie the girl gave a cry of delight, which also caused everyone else to laugh. Everyone enjoyed the dessert with vocal appreciation to the talents of Aunt Em's cooking.

Finally, after everything was cleared from the table, Aunt Em brought to Dorothy a parcel of paper tied with white string. The now twelve year old girl carefully untied the string, knowing that it should not be ruined in case it was needed for something else. Then, she peeled away the brown paper to reveal a blue and white gingham dress, and a short sleeved shirt that matched the dress. A small smile appeared on her face as she lifted it up away from the paper. "Did you make this, Auntie Em?" she asked.

Aunt Em looked almost reluctant to answer. She knew that if she answered truthfully, the bright and happy mood of the night may be ruined and brought back to the depressed state it had been in. But as she looked at Dorothy's large brown eyes, seeing the innocence that had somehow remained despite the deaths of her parents, she decided that she could not possibly lie to her. "I finished it, Dorothy. You're…mother was halfway through sewing it."

"My mother?"

Aunt Em nodded. Dorothy looked closer at the outfit and hugged it close to her. Her eyes filled with tears and she suddenly hugged the clothes close to her and hid her face, feeling her tears escape. Hickory wrapped an arm around her sympathetically. She leaned into him and he let her cry onto him again. He looked at Zeke, whose face was near despair. He knew that the older man was dreading her reaction to the present…and judging by the reaction she had to her own family's gift she would be upset.

Hickory gently tilted his head onto Dorothy's as he softly spoke. "Dorothy, there's something I have for you." He patiently waited until she looked up him. She did not speak but her eyes were filled with a questioning wonder. He used his fingertips to wipe her tears away. "I'll not have you crying on your birthday." At that she tried to work up a smile for him, but she was not wholly successful. He smiled down at her and asked, "Do you want to see it, Dorothy?"

She nodded. Hickory pushed out his chair and stood, offering the girl his hand. Dorothy put her new clothing on the table and took his hand. He helped her to her feet with a smile. "Where is it?" she asked.

"Well, it's in the barn. It was difficult to hide from you. That's why Zeke and I wouldn't let you in there today."

"Oh…" Her interest was peaked and her mind was flooded with ideas of what he had for her. She let him lead her right out the door of the house, not paying attention if Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, or Zeke followed them.

They reached the barn and before Hickory opened the doors he turned to Dorothy. "I want you to close your eyes, Dorothy." She did as he asked without a hesitation. She heard him open the tall doors, and his footsteps returned to her. The girl jumped when she felt his hands on her shoulders and he pushed her forward slowly. She took perhaps twenty small steps before Hickory's hands prevented her from going further. "Open them," he said. She did so and found herself looking at a box. The side that faced up was domed and covered in a flowered material. There were four letters written on the side of the box that Dorothy could not figure out the meaning to. The side of the box facing her was just a scrap of material different from that which covered the dome. Quite frankly, the whole present puzzled Dorothy.

Zeke stood leaning against a stall door nervously. He hoped that this crazy idea of Hickory's paid off. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry reached the barn with their curiosity plainly readable on their faces. They looked at Zeke, but his attention was completely on Dorothy and he was waiting for her reaction.

Dorothy looked at Hickory questioningly. He gave her a little nudge towards the box. "Look in it…the dotted one." He hoped she knew what he meant. Now that he was presenting his present to her, he was as nervous as Zeke, but hoped he was not obvious.

She knelt on the ground in front of the side of the box. She began to chew the corner of her lip as she reached towards the polka dotted material. Slowly, she pulled it away and peered inside. She went still for a moment and the two farmhands feared the worst. She stared into the box for what seemed like hours to the men before – much to their surprise – she gasped and reached into the box. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry crept closer to the girl during those long moments. What Dorothy pulled out surprised the couple.

Hickory and Zeke did not care what Henry or Emily thought…just as long as Dorothy was pleased with it. But when she pulled out the cairn terrier from their box and she was smiling and hugging the animal to her, Hickory knew his idea was a good one. Hickory's vision grew blurred when she looked up at him beaming with an emotion he had not seen in her for weeks…happiness. "Oh, Hickory. I love it!" She laughed, and pet the dog energetically. She remembered the letters on the box. "What do those mean?" she asked, pointing.

"That's her name," Hickory answered. "Toto."

"Oh…she's…" Dorothy found herself speechless in her surprise and joy of the present. The dog yipped at her and she jumped. "Hello, Toto." The dog craned its neck and licked her cheek. She laughed again, hugging the dog to her chest.

Dorothy managed to get to her feet and she ran straight to Hickory. When she stood before him she said, "Hickory, this is the best present I could get. Oh, thank you." She raised herself to her toes and kissed his cheek. All he could do was smile at her. Then she turned and went back to the box where she began to play with Toto.

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry looked at the younger farmhand with gratitude shining in their watering eyes. Hickory nodded in response, then focused his eyes on Zeke, who only smiled at him. Hickory knew that everyone was satisfied with the result of his gift. All he had to do was look at the joy on Dorothy's face to know that he did not only give the gift of Toto, but also the gift of happiness. That alone made everything worthwhile…to see the Gale family happy again.

_Please review if you read. I would really like to know how people think I am doing with this story. And they encourage me to write more. Thanks! Hope to hear from everyone soon. _


	3. New School

**Author's Notes:** Disclaimer: _The Wizard of Oz_ does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me. It belongs to the creator, L. Frank Baum, whom I respect very much for giving the world this wonderful story, along with the many others set in Oz. Anything from the film belongs to screenplay writers Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, all of the composers, and MGM films. I write this piece out of respect for the original works.

This does _not_ take place in the Land of Oz, but rather at the farm in Kansas, featuring mainly Dorothy Gale, Hunk, Hickory, Zeke, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Professor Chester Frank Marvel, Miss Almira Gultch, and several original characters. Their ages, in many cases, are adjusted to suit the purposes of this story.

II. New School

One month later marked Dorothy's first day of going to her new school. She wore her gingham dress and she decided that no matter what anyone said she was bringing Toto with her. She got everything ready for herself and after Aunt Em gave her a small lunch to take with her she asked her a question. "Can you walk me to school…just today?" Aunt Em drew back in surprise. For the first time since the girl's parents died, she was asking something of her as though she needed her.

Aunt Em thought that if Dorothy were to ask that question she would question it from one of the farmhands, like every other time. The woman had grown accustomed to it and had always made herself busy on the farm to distract herself. This morning she had a particularly long day ahead of her and regretted relying on Hickory and Zeke to take care of her niece that way she should. "Dorothy, I can't."

Dorothy's expression fell and she silently left the house. When she was outside she called for Toto, who came running from the barn. She scooped her up and hugged the dog close. As she began toward the road, she caught sight of Zeke heading towards the pens. She ran with Toto to him calling his name. He turned around and saw her coming to him. "Good morning, Dorothy," he greeted.

"Zeke, could you walk me to school today…just today?" she asked hopefully.

Zeke looked at her and said, "Your first day ain't nothing to be afraid of, Kid."

She lowered her head and nodded. "I'm not afraid of going…It's just—"

"Use your courage, Kid. It's in there somewhere." Zeke began walking away to the hog pen.

Dorothy watched him walk away with a sense of being alone. She looked at the terrier in her arms. "At least I have you with me, Toto." She hugged the dog close and began again in the direction of the road. Her head was down and her steps were slow.

"Dorothy!"

She spun around to see who called her. She saw Hickory walking towards her with a horse. "Wait a moment!" he shouted to her. She did as he asked, while he took the horse into the barn. After a few minutes, he came out and jogged to her side. Releasing his breath with a huff, he smiled at her. "Come on."

"Don't you have things to do, though?" she asked.

"Mrs. Gale was concerned that you were upset when you left the house. Something about going to school?" he prompted the girl. She nodded and he nodded in understanding. "Well, since I'm here I could walk with you if you wish."

"Yes," she answered.

"Alright, Dorothy." With that, Hickory walked with Dorothy towards the schoolhouse talking the whole time.

They reached the schoolhouse in a few minutes. It was not all that far from the farm, which made Dorothy a little happier. The building was rather small but with a charming appearance. It had a little yard that was surrounded by a fence. Dorothy turned to Hickory. "What should I do with Toto?"

He looked down at the dog and saw that for the feisty thing that he picked up it became tame and well-behaved over the last month that Dorothy owned her. He looked at the fence and said, "Perhaps you could leave her in the schoolyard or tie her to a bit of the fence."

She bit the corner of her lip. "I don't want to tie her."

"Then let her loose in the yard," he suggested.

She put Toto down on the ground and then turned to Hickory. "Thank you."

"Have a good first day here, Dorothy," he said. She gave him a hug then turned to the door of the school. After she took a deep breath she began walking to it. "I'll see you after school, Dorothy," he called.

She turned and waved to him. "Goodbye, Hickory." She smiled at him as he returned the wave. Then she turned around and opened the door.

Miss Almira Gultch stood before her class in the schoolhouse. All of her students knew to not dare fall asleep, draw in their books out of boredom, or even look around the room while the woman was teaching. If they did so, they knew that Miss Gultch would call everyone's attention to it, humiliating the poor student, and after school was finished for the day would pay a short visit to that student's family to report their lapse of concentration in her class. No one wanted to be disciplined not only by Miss Gultch, but also their parents. As a result of their fear, every child in the class kept their eyes firmly on their teacher and did not move or speak. It was unfortunate when someone simply sneezed, for Miss Gultch would glare at them until they apologized for disrupting her lesson.

She was not an overly mean woman, just incredibly strict. The students obeyed her out of fear, but at the same time only a few respected her for holding her ground during outbursts, her remarkable ability to regain control of the class on a day they decided to be rowdy or rebellious, and the way she could silence anyone by a single glare. She disliked idleness with a strong passion.

She seemed bitter with the world, but she had her reasons. The way her face was constantly in a mixture of sadness and anger people would think she had a hard life before she became the schoolteacher. If they assumed such, it was true, but she never told anyone of her past…except the man that helped her when her luck had run out on her and guided her back to a satisfactory recovery.

She was forced to stop her lesson when the door to the building opened, revealing a young brunette girl in a blue and white checked dress with her hair in pigtails. The woman scanned her quickly, taking notice of the lunch in her hand, her timid stance, and young cherubic face that was accented by big, glittering brown eyes. "Your name, girl," she demanded.

The girl looked at her and shrunk away, her nervousness increasing tenfold from what it was before she opened the door. She gulped, wishing that Hickory was still at her side. Pushing that feeling down, she answered. "Dorothy Gale."

The woman nodded. "So, you are the orphan from that farm." Tears sprung to Dorothy's eyes for a moment, but Miss Gultch ignored it. "Sit." She pointed her long-finger to an empty chair next to a young blonde girl. Dorothy immediately obeyed her and sat in the chair, putting her lunch under it. She thought that would be the end of it, but she was wrong. Miss Gultch stared at her and snarled, "In the future, you will never be late for my class. Do you understand, Dorothy?"

Terrified of this woman, Dorothy hurriedly nodded. "Yes."

Miss Gultch stared at her waiting for her to pronounce her name, but suddenly remembered that she had not given it. "Yes, Miss Gultch," she barked.

"Yes, Miss Gultch," Dorothy repeated, her voice quivering a little.

The first day ended and Dorothy picked up her new books from her desk and, like the rest of the class, practically ran from the schoolhouse. It was like she was escaping to freedom after she left the building and she desperately wanted to get to Toto again. When she left the building she saw that one of her classmates beat her to her dog. "Toto," she called. She ran to her and sat on her hind legs, offering one of her front paws. Dorothy pet the dog but she wanted to hug her. Toto seemed to understand and was content with her hand petting her head.

The blonde girl that sat next to her during class looked at Dorothy with wide eyes. "This is your dog?"

Dorothy nodded with a proud smile. "Do you like her?"

The other girl nodded. "I always wanted a dog."

Dorothy looked at the blonde and realized something. "What's your name?"

"Julie Morgan." The blonde grinned. "I know that I didn't have a chance to tell you because class already started. You don't want to talk while Miss Gultch is talking and if you're stupid enough to do it, she'll embarrass you so much that you won't do it again."

Dorothy nodded and when the door opened revealing Miss Gultch, she looked at Julie. "I think we should go." Julie nodded in agreement. As they began walking, Dorothy saw someone waiting for her on the road. "Hickory!" she cried, running toward the man. She crashed into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. He gently pushed her away saying he did not want to get her dirty. That was when she actually looked at him and saw that he had sweat running down his face, and his clothes were covered in dirt and dust. He had his working gloves in his jacket pocket, and his handkerchief in his hand. "Hickory, this is my new friend Julie Morgan." The blonde and the farmhand exchanged greetings politely.

Hickory then looked at Dorothy and said, "We have to hurry back to the farm, Dorothy. There's only so long that Zeke can do both of our jobs." Dorothy said her goodbye to Julie and she went on her way with Hickory. Julie went the opposite direction as them.

While they were on their way, they passed a house that Dorothy had not noticed that morning. It was a grand house with many potted plants on the porch and in the windows…that is all except one window. The shutters were a dark green color. There was a garden to the left of it, with the fall vegetables nearly ripe, and the dead plants that had already been fully harvested in a decaying pile four feet from the garden.

Dorothy saw movement in the house and when she looked closer she saw that it was a young man…younger than Hickory, but older than her. He looked out of the window and met her gaze. His face was sad and lonely, but young and with a shadow of hope for something better. He touched his palm to the glass in a gesture that seemed to cry for help. She just gazed at him, and wondered why he was shut indoors.

"Dorothy, come," said Hickory, gently. "We have to get you home."

She nodded and followed the farmhand, wondering all the way home who the boy was…

The woman stopped her bicycle just outside the fence to her house. She got off and pushed it through the fence and to the side of her home. After leaning it against the wall and making sure it couldn't fall over she walked to her garden to see if anything was ready to be harvested. With a frown, she went to her door, passing the many potted plants on her porch. She felt the heat of someone's gaze and leaned back to see the boy looking at her through the window that was bordered by the dark green shutters. With a growl, she opened her door and walked in with a cry of, "I do not want you staring at me through the window when I come home. Do you understand me?"

The boy still gazed out the window and replied with a monotone voice. "Yes, mother."

_Please review if you read this. Thank you! _


	4. The Runaway

_**Author's Notes:**__ Disclaimer: __The Wizard of Oz__ does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me. It belongs to the creator, L. Frank Baum, whom I respect very much for giving the world this wonderful story, along with the many others set in Oz. Anything from the film belongs to screenplay writers Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, all of the composers, and MGM films. I write this piece out of respect for the original works._

_This does __not__ take place in the Land of Oz, but rather at the farm in Kansas, featuring mainly Dorothy Gale, Hunk, Hickory, Zeke, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Professor Chester Frank Marvel, Miss Almira Gultch, and several original characters. Their ages, in many cases, are adjusted to suit the purposes of this story._

**III. The Runaway**

He waited patiently until he heard the tell-tale sound of the door closing. That was his sign that his mother had left for the day to her job. He did not understand why his mother would not allow him to go to school…perhaps she was ashamed of him. His mother was unmarried, so when he was born there was nearly a scandal that almost destroyed her high reputation in the town. He only assumed that because she did not want him in the first place was the reason why she showed him no love in his young life, and also why she rarely allowed him to leave the house to simply go outside to the garden. He had never been beyond the fence around her property, never met anyone other than his mother, never spoke to anyone but his mother. He knew nothing at all, but he craved to learn, desired to meet people, wanted to leave his miserable home…

…Today he could do just that…

He had picked out a change of clothes and a hat for himself. He would not know if he should take anything else. All he knew was that he needed to leave home, leave his mother…for good. There was nothing in his home that he wanted to remember, so why should he take any of it? The only thing he considered taking was the loaf of bread his mother made the night before…and maybe an apple or two.

But he had heard the door close. The moment had come to make the final preparations before he could leave. A strange excitement built up in his chest as he grabbed his shirt and pants and peered out of his door just to be sure she had left. When he had been standing in his doorway for several minutes and he heard no sound, he figured it was safe.

He made his way into the kitchen where he could find some food to take with him. He found the bread and tucked it away in a rag. He searched some more and found that there was only one apple left. Even though he did not appreciate the way his mother had treated him for his whole life, he could not bring himself to hate her. He still felt that he should leave the apple for her, despite the fact that he would most likely need it more than she would at this point. He turned away with the bread in his hand and left the kitchen.

He stood in front of the door staring at it, knowing that once he left the house he could never return. And he also knew that once he walked beyond the fence it would be the farthest he had gone from that door. He slowly opened the door and looked outside.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh essence of the outdoors. He closed his eyes as he breathed wanting to remember his first breath of freedom. He stepped outside of the house and closed the door behind him. He had done the first step…he went outside.

He began to hesitantly walk forward toward the fence. Like a bird creeping to the sliding door of its wire cage, he tip-toed to the fence door. As though he feared he would hear his mother's harsh voice scold him for trying to leave, he touched the lock on the fence door with his fingertips. Quickly, with a jerk of his hand he unlocked the gate and swung the door open in one motion. He gazed upon the open gate and then he turned around to look at the house, seeing the pet cat in the window, eyeing him with a glare that matched his stern mother. He frowned at the nasty old cat and faced the gate again. 'Better to escape while it's open than to have it close again to trap me here forever,' he thought. With a leap he left the yard and saw his feet land on the road.

He grabbed the gate and closed it firmly, as though he were closing his mind from a memory he did not want to remember…and it was a long memory of nearly seventeen years of being shut in the same building for his whole life. He gathered his feelings and his expression changed to determination as he looked to his left, the way his mother took everyday, and then to his right. He repeated the action and then decided that he would go right. He walked at first, then when he realized that he was actually going somewhere he had never been before he began to run, wanting to feel the wind on his face as he ran, wanting to find out what was at the end of that road.

He did it. He had escaped his mother's house and was now going to find out what the world beyond the fence truly was like.

He walked for what seemed like hours and hours…it was at least mid-afternoon and that meant the time that his mother would usually be getting home to yell at him for doing nothing like she did every day. But it wasn't as though he was able to do anything there…for there was nothing for him to do except stare out of the window hoping for something better. He looked back and was almost waiting to see his mother on her bicycle heading after him but to his relief all he saw was the horizon, the telegraph poles stretching into infinity, and the road seeming to get narrower the further he looked. He realized that once she figured out that he had left her she would do one of two things: She would come searching for him simply to scold him and bring him back to his imprisonment, or she would pay his disappearance no thought or care and continue with her life. But he did not want to take his chances.

He had to find somewhere to go just in case she did come looking for him. He continued walking but his eyes searched desperately for a place to go or to hide…anywhere that he could go so that he could blend in with his surroundings.

It was only after another few miles, as he crossed a bridge did he realize that it could be the perfect place to disappear for a while. He went off the road and looked beneath the wooden bridge, trying to determine if it was suitable for a rest. It seemed dry enough for him to sleep and eat, but it wasn't nearly big enough for him to not be noticed by someone. He frowned but then decided that it was most likely the best cover that he would get with the sun setting soon. He shrugged and crept under the bridge going to the very end where the sloping ground met the wood of the bridge. He sat down leaning his back against the slope, and closing his eyes to rest for just a moment. He held his bread in the crook of his arm and his clothes in the other.

He wanted to eat, but before he could move to unwrap it, his eyes became fully closed, his mind quieted, his body went limp…and he fell into his dreams.

He was lying down on a brown, soft mattress…softer than he had ever felt. Even above his eyes a blanket of yellow and green held him close in its warm embrace. The sun tried to break through his blanket but the threads were tightly woven so that he could sleep for as long as he wanted. But suddenly, the blanket was ripped away and he opened his eyes to his mother's harsh and terrifying cackle.

The young man heard a soft chuckle from above him…interrupting his dream. He opened his eyes to see a kindly older man smiling and looking upon him. The man extended his hand to him. He was hesitant to trust the man since he had only interacted with his mother, and she was not the best person to only be exposed to. It led him to believe that all people were cruel, yet he saw a strange twinkle in the man's eyes that had never been in his mother's.

"I'm not going to hurt you, boy," the man said. "No need to be afraid of me." He still offered his hand.

The boy had yet to even speak to anyone other than his mother. It was something totally new for him to even think of talking to this strange man. He examined the man before him for a moment. He had blushing cheeks, with a rounded nose and big dark blue eyes. His thin lips were almost nonexistent in his smile, revealing his awkward teeth. His eyebrows were greying severely, but his hair was already white. Most of his hair was hidden by this strange wrapping around his head that had a superfluous jewel keeping it in place. This wrapping fascinated the boy and he wondered, 'What is that thing on his head?'

"It's called a 'turban', my boy," the man answered, making the youth notice that he had said that out loud. The man started to laugh, then…a sound he had never heard before in his life. What a strange sound it was, too.

Something in him told him that this man could teach him things that his mother had neglected to learn to him…happier things. His empty brain wanted to learn from this man, no matter what he had to teach him, for he knew that he had much to learn.

He reached up with his hand and grabbed the man's. He found himself hoisted to his feet. "I see that you have something with you, but you look like you could use a good meal." He began to lead him away from the cover of the bridge. "Come now, boy, by the fire where you can have some of the soup I've just finished making. Good thing I made more than I could eat myself."

The youth then did something he never had reason to do before…he smiled.

_Hope everyone enjoys the chapter! I did not give up on this story. I'm just not feeling this fandom as much as previously. It's not much of an excuse or anything, but I apologize for the lack of attention nevertheless. Enjoy! Let me know if people are still interested in the story. Thank you!_


	5. Story Notice

Wizard of Oz – Under the Rainbow

I apologize for the lack of updating this story in a very long time. But, after a long consideration, I have decided to discontinue this story. I wanted to give everyone a fair warning about it. I've hit writer's block that has become impenetrable. I apologize to everyone who was reading, but thank you! In the future one day I may finish the story, but that will not be occurring any time soon. I was originally going to remove the story completely (because I do not like when writers do exactly what I am doing now – which I suppose makes me a tad hypocritical), but have decided against it in case anyone wanted to reread it. If/When I manage to continue the story, this notice will be removed.

~ R4v3n Kn1ght


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